Shloka 27
Strī Parva, Adhyāya 2 — Vidura’s Consolation on Kāla, Karma, and the Limits of Lamentation (विदुरोपदेशः)
अशोचन् प्रतिकुर्वीत यदि पश्येत् पराक्रमम् । भैषज्यमेतदू् दुःखस्य यदेतन्नानुचिन्तयेत्
aśocan pratikurvīta yadi paśyet parākramam | bhaiṣajyam etad duḥkhasya yad etan nānucintayet ||
Vidura advises that one who is not overwhelmed by grief should respond appropriately when he sees the opponent’s strength and initiative. The true remedy for sorrow, he says, is this: not to keep brooding over it—meeting the situation with clear-sighted action rather than endless lamentation.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Vidura teaches that grief becomes manageable when one stops obsessive rumination and instead responds to circumstances with steady judgment—especially when confronted with an adversary’s prowess.
In the Stree Parva’s aftermath of the Kurukṣetra war, Vidura offers counsel aimed at stabilizing minds shaken by loss: do not be consumed by lamentation; recognize realities (such as others’ strength) and act with composure.